Safety box opener



June 1954 o. L. BLACK 2,681,502

.SAFETY BOX OPENER Filed 001;. 9, 1953 IN VENTOR ORMlNL. EAICK ATTORNEYPatented June 22, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to knives and in particular to a knife foropening cardboard or corrugated paper boxes such as are used forcontaining packaged foods and the like.

Many types of knives are presently in use and generally the blades areexposed to such an extent that the package is penetrated to a depth atwhich the contents are exposed to the knife edge. In the instance wherethe outer carton contains small packages of foods, such as cornflakes,it has frequently happened that an inexperienced store clerk has slitopen all of the small packages that are next to the side being cut.Damage to foods and merchandise amounts to a serious loss to the storeowner or jobber.

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a knifewhich in the hands of an inexperienced clerk is so constructed as tomake it virtually impossible to damage a cartons contents.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a knife whichpenetrates the carton a calculated depth only.

A still further object is to provide such a knife which has means forpushing away the contents of a carton ahead of the cutting edge.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guide means on part ofthe handle for assuring that the knife is drawn at the proper draft formaking the cutting edge enter the carton at the proper angle and to thedesired depth.

Briefly described, the safety box opener is made of metal or hardplastic and has a handle or shank curved downwardly and back towards thecutting end, which is flattened to a wide portion up against which asharpened blade, preferably square or rectangular in shape, is securedby a thumb screw and nut. The flattened cutting end of the knife has ahooked portion substantially rounded and the blade is positioned behindthe rounded nose. The nose pushes ahead of the sharpened edge to depressany inner carton and material away from the blade.

These objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent uponconsideration of the following description when taken in connection withthe annexed drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view in elevation of the invention showing the bladeand rounded portion in cutting position within the carton.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the invention showing its cutting position alongthe top side of a carton. Fig. 3 is a partial view in section taken online 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the knife without the blade or thumbscrew.

Referring in more particular to the drawing, in which like numeralsindicate like parts throughout the several views, it will be seen thatthe invention comprises a round shank. or handle [0 having a curvedguide portion Ill and a flattened cutting end 12. On the end I2 is a lugl3, either pressed outwardly by an upsetting tool or otherwise formed toprovide a stop for the blade [4 which is removably secured by means ofthe thumb nut and screw [5 through the square hole It. A projectinghooked portion l1 projects beyond the edge or end of the blade 14, andas seen in Fig. 1 depresses the contents is of the carton l9 away fromthe blade [4. The curved guide portion II, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2 isin line with the blade l4 and provides the proper draft to the cuttingstroke and also provides the proper angle of the blade [4 and hookedportion H within the carton.

The handle in is preferably smoothly rounded and coated or covered witha resilient rubber hose 2 I, or other material which provides acomfortable grip. The operation of the tool is fully apparent from theforegoing description, and it will be easily understood that the chiefadvantage is the way in which the hooked portion pushes the cartonscontents sufficiently far enough away so that the blade l4 does not havea chance to damage the contents.

While only a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, many changes and modifications are contemplated and may bemade in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention, in which is claimed:

1. A carton opening knife comprising a handle portion, a guide portionconsisting of an extension of one end of the handle portion bentforwardly towards the opposite end thereof, a cutting portion on saidopposite end, means on said cutting portion for removably securing ablade thereon, and a curved portion on said cutting portion projectingrearwardly towards said handle a sumcient distance ahead of a bladesecured to said cutting portion to depress objects away from the blade.

2. A carton opening knife comprising a substantially elongated shank, anextension on said handle bent back on itself at one end of said shank, aflattened other end of said shank, a blade, means removably securingsaid blade to said flattened end of said shank, and a curved portion ofsaid flattened end of said shank positioned rearwardly and projectingoutwardly a little distance beyond the blade fixed therealong.

3. A carton opening knife comprising a handle, an extension on saidhandle bent back on itself and downwardly toward a carton to be opened,a knife-bearing portion, and a rounded projection in the shape of a hookon said knife-bearing portion positioned to project into a carton beingopened a sufiicient distance to depress objects within the carton.

4. A carton opening knife comprising a rodshaped handle portion, aresilient covering on said portion, a flat section forward of saidportion, a curved hook on the downmost side of said flat section, ablade removably secured to said flat section on one side thereof andprojecting across the opening defined by said hook, and guide means atthe other end of said handle portion for positioning said hook and saidblade relative to a surface to be cut.

5. The device of claim 4 in which said blade is secured to said flatsection by a thumb screw.

6. The device as set forth in claim 5 in which said thumb screwtraverses a square hole in said blade and in said flat section.

7. The device as set forth in claim 6 together with an upwardlyprojecting lug on the side of said flat section for positioning saidblade.

No references cited.

